Basketball and Contemplations
by DeathByMushrooms
Summary: On a slow day outside the E.R., Carter plays basketball. He contemplates the women in his life. Carby one-shot. Spoilers for 10.14.


Title: Slow Days, Basketball, Contemplations, and Conversations

Author: The kid next door… me, you silly person!

A/N: I got the idea for this while looking at some purddy Carby fanart. :)  This can be your Chrismukkah present from me! :D

Disclaimer: Nothing's mine. :)

Spoilers: Episode 10.14 ("Blood Relations") and below.

Summary: While playing basketball outside the E.R., Carter contemplates the women in his life.  Carby stand-alone.  Spoilers for anything below 10.14.

_*~LTDan~*_

            "I hate slow days…" said Susan dismally.  She was leaning on the admit desk, tapping a pen in a blasé sort of way.

            Carter, who was on the verge of sleep behind her, muttered his agreement.

            Susan walked over to him and gave him a shove.

            "_What_?" he mumbled grumpily, repositioning himself quickly.

            "Nothing.  Just thought it'd be funny."   

            "Yeah, it'll be funny when—"

            "That a threat, Doctor?"

            "No," he said, attempting to go back to sleep.

            "I think it was."

            Carter groaned.  "I'm going to go outside."           

            "Have fun…" responded Susan, sounding a bit sad.

            Carter removed the basketball from the lounge.  He took it outside, and sat on a bench for a moment.  He had been deep in thought all day.  Sighing slightly, he stood up and aimed for the ball.

            "This one's for the life I thought I had."

            _Swish_.

            "This one's for the life I thought I was going to have."

            _Swish.  
            _"This one's for the life I want."

            _Swish._

            "This one's for the life I'll never have."

            _Swish._

            Carter laughed mirthlessly, palming the ball in his left hand.

            "Kem turned me down," he said to no one in particular.  "Abby turned me down.  Am I really that unlovable?"

            He reared his arm back and slammed the ball against the backboard. It ricocheted, and he barely missed getting hit in the chest by it.  He retrieved it, and looked at it for a second.

            "She practically forced me to propose.  I didn't have a choice.  And I do ask her to marry me, and she refuses.  Ahh… so like a woman."

            _Swish._

            He dribbled the ball in front of him, staring up at the hoop.  He ran forward, attempting a lay-up, but he overshot, and the ball fell to the ground with a dull thud.

            He recaptured it, and glared at it like a living, breathing enemy.

            "And look – even the ball hates me."

            He walked to the middle of the lot, thrusting the ball between each of his hands.

            "Kem left me.  Why'd she leave me?  Ha, I've still not figured that out.  Stupid women.  All alike.  No different."

            He released the ball from his hands, and it spun around the rim for a split second before dropping through the hoop.

            "And I was right."

            ******

            Carter was still venting his anger when Susan came outside, her arms folded across her chest.

            "Are you crazy, Carter, it's freezing out here!"

            "Is it?  I didn't notice."

            "Hmm.  You're annoyed?"

            Carter wiped his forehead.  "How'd you know?"

            Susan shrugged.  "Lucky guess."

            They paused.

            "What're you doing out here, Susan?" he asked seriously.

            "Abby came in…"

            "Good.  I'm happy.  She should work.  Like the rest of us."

            "Carter, don't—" she started pleadingly.

            "Don't what?" he retorted haughtily.

            Susan shifted her weight.  "She wants to talk to you."

            Carter didn't want to talk to her.  Carter didn't want to talk to anyone.  Not Abby, not Susan, not Kem, not Luka – not anyone.  But he wasn't going to let the two women think that he was still in love with Abby.  Between the two of them, it would be all over County in a day's time.

            "Okay."

            Susan smiled briefly, and Carter followed her across the lot towards the doors to the hospital.  "Are you and Abby… _cool_ now?"

            "Yeah.  Sure.  Why wouldn't we be?"

            _Oh, you're such an excellent liar._

            They entered, and Carter's eyes immediately swept over to Abby, leaning in the same way Susan had on the admit desk, talking in a tedious sort of way with Jerry.  He approached her, and he knew he instantly had her full attention.

            "Hi," she said, as if they were meeting for the first time.  "What's up?"

            "Did you want to talk?"

            Carter saw Abby glance at Susan for a split second, but looked back to him. "Yeah."

            When he didn't respond, Abby walked off in the direction of the lounge.  Carter shrugged his left shoulder and followed.

            She sat down on the sofa, and Carter sat opposite her in a chair.

            "So," he said, nodding his head, unsure of what to say.

            "Carter," she sighed, "Kem left a month ago… and… I'm sorry…"

            "Don't be.  I loved her.  But we weren't… _right_ together."

            Abby's face twisted into an expression of mixed emotions.  It was apparent that she didn't know what to say to his claim.

            "What about us?" she said in a tiny monotone.

            Carter cocked his head to the side, unsure if he had heard her right.  If he had, then there was no way he could answer her.

            "What?"

            "What about us?"

            Carter blinked.  What about them?  Was there anything to them?  Hadn't he, himself, ended it all with his letter?  And leaving the way he did?  When Abby asked for her keys back?

            "I don't know," he admitted, looking at the floor.

            "I know it's only been a little over a month… but you say you didn't work with her…" Abby left her sentence hanging.

            He nodded, wondering what she was getting at.

            "When you're ready…" It seemed to be taking her a great deal of effort to speak now.  "Could we try again?  I mean, I know you're not over her, and we didn't work well the first time… but Eric and Maggie are doing good.  They're both on their meds.  And I…"  She stopped abruptly.

            Carter didn't know what to say.  A second chance?  She was offering him a second chance?  It was excellent… perfect.

            "I—yeah… sure."

            Abby bit her lip, and Carter stood.

            "Want to go play some basketball?"

_*~FIN~*_

A/N: Just thought I'd give you a little one-shot for the hols.  :) Hope you enjoyed.  Please review! :D

_*~LTDan~*_


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